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Gratin Dauphinois

Posted by Didi Davis
on October 31, 2018

Serves 8 or more

Gratin Dauphinois is a regional dish of baked potato slices from the Dauphine region in south-east France. This version of the classicgratin, the
wealthy cousin of scalloped potatoes, layers thin slices of potato with cream
and seasoning. Nothing could be richer
or simpler. Serve with roast beef or
chicken, or enjoy the leftover gratin in the morning with poached, fried, or
scrambled eggs.

Preheat the oven to 325° F. Rub a 13- by 9-inch baking dish with the cut
side of the garlic halves and let dry.
Discard the garlic. Butter the
baking dish.

Place 1 layer of potato slices in the dish, overlapping
them. Season very well with sea salt,
pepper, and nutmeg. Pour some of the
cream over the surface of the potatoes to barely cover. Repeat with the potatoes, seasonings, and
cream, making 2 more layers, for a total of 3 layers. The potatoes should just barely be covered
with cream, not completely submerged.

Bake the potatoes for about 1 ½ hours, or until the
potatoes are golden brown on top, the cream is almost all absorbed, and the
potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Remove from the oven and let rest to settle, so the gratin will be easier to cut, 15 to 20 minutes.

Variations:

*Add sautéed onions in between the layers of potatoes.

*Add sautéed mushrooms and persillade between the layers
of potatoes.

*Mix ¼ to 1/3 cup Dijon
mustard (smooth or grainy or a combination) into the cream before adding to the
gratin.

*Replace half the cream with chicken stock and layer the
potatoes with slices of Gruyère and Gouda
cheese.

*Sauté some savoy cabbage in butter and season well with
salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Replace half
the cream with chicken stock and layer the potatoes with the sautéed
cabbage. Top with a mixture of fresh
bread crumbs and cooked crumbled bacon.